HHS ID Badge/PIV Card Rollout Scorecard

Here are the most recent NIH badging statistics provided by HHS as of September 14, 2012.  

Sponsored: 38,187    Enrolled: 37,824   Issued: 37,463*

*This figure represents 98.1% of individuals who have been sponsored.

Paperless e-QIP Process Saves Time, Increases Efficiency

New NIH hires (employees, contractors and affiliates) can now complete and submit both their e-QIP questionnaires and their signature pages electronically. DPSAC is encouraging everyone who receives notification to complete e-QIP to do just that to help reduce paperwork and speed up the PIV process.

According to DPSAC Director CAPT Theresa Minter, "Now that all new NIH hires are able to submit their e-QIP questionnaires and signature pages electronically, DPSAC can achieve a 99% paperless work environment. Achieving this goal makes the process more efficient and benefits everyone involved," Minter explained. 

New NIH hires no longer need to take time out of their work day to deliver paperwork to the personnel security office when they choose to electronically upload their own Signature Pages and additional required forms directly into e-QIP along with their questionnaire.   

"Going electronic not only helps DPSAC reduce its carbon footprint, it also speeds up the Personal Identity Verification (PIV) process for the applicant.  It's a win-win-win for the new NIH hire, the DPSAC staff, and the environment," Minter concluded.  

NED v3.2.2 Goes Live 

Below are excerpts from a September 7, 2012 message from the NED team to NED users announcing the deployment of NED v3.2.2.

NED v3.2.2 is a minor release that includes ... support for OD/OCIO-requested changes to the NIH Active Directory (AD) account provisioning process, (including):   

• NED will require successful fingerprint adjudication or an NCIC check prior to authorizing AD accounts.

• NED will authorize and de-authorize FDA staff AD accounts in the same manner as NIH staff (i.e., NIH IT Service Desk staff will no longer create/delete/manage FDA staff AD accounts).

• NED will require FDA AOs to perform annual AD account review and re-sponsor users still needing accounts.

New Code Letters Help Identify Certificates   

As of July, 2012, all newly issued and renewed PIV Card/HHS ID Badge certificates now include a code letter at the end of the "Issued to" name to allow users to easily differentiate between types of certificates -- Authentication, Encryption and Signing.  

This new code letter suffix defines the use of each certificate, making it easier to identify and select the correct certificate.  

Note: certificates issued or renewed prior to July 2012 will not show the code letter.  

Below are examples of how the certificates with codes appear:

• John Doe -A - identifies the client Authentication certificate
• John Doe -E - identifies the e-mail Encryption certificate
• John Doe -S - identifies the digital Signature certificate

Individuals requiring additional information should contact the NIH IT Service Desk at 301-496-4357 (local), 866-319-4357 (toll-free), or 301-496-8294 (TTY) or submit an online service request at: http://itservicedesk.nih.gov/support.

November/December NED Training Schedule 

The HSPD-12 Program Office offers free NED training for beginners and experienced NED users. Take advantage of this opportunity to quickly master NED in a hands-on computer lab environment. 
    
   NED for Beginners

Contact Lanny Newman at [email protected] to reserve a space. In your e-mail, provide Lanny with your name and IC and which course you would like to attend.

New HHS ID Badge Card Stock Gets a Boost

NIH will soon begin issuing PIV Cards/HHS ID Badges using card stock with enhanced storage capabilities. The new badges will contain 128k computer chips, essentially doubling the storage capacity of the 64k chips currently in the PIV Cards/HHS ID Badges at NIH.

Before January 1, 2011, manufacturers produced 64k card stock as the standard for PIV Cards. These cards can only store active certificates; they cannot archive expired certificate keys. While users of the 64k cards who require access to their expired certificates are able to download 'soft' versions of these expired certificate keys to their computers, they are not able to store them on their smart cards. Users of these cards have access only to the information that is encrypted with active certificates.  

As of January 1, 2011 the card manufacturer supplying NIH discontinued production of the 64k smart card and began producing the 128k smart card. Once NIH has exhausts its supply of 64k cards, which will occur soon, it will begin issuing the 128k cards. These cards will have enhanced capabilities, including:

• Storage space for up to 5 archived certificates
• Advanced encryption

Note: the transition from 64k to 128k cards will have no effect on issuance time, nor will there be any requirement for additional software. Also, badge holders with 64k card stock will not notice any change in the performance of their PIV cards during the migration to 128k cards.

DPSAC or the appropriate local badging office will notify badge holders when it is time to come in for a new PIV Card/HHS ID Badge. The badging office will issue the more robust 128k PIV Card at that time.

If an LWS is not available in your IC or your immediate area, and you work in the greater Bethesda or Rockville area -- please call 301-451-4766 or 301-402-9755 to schedule an appointment with the Division of Personnel Security and Access Control located in Building 31 or in Building 10, South Lobby, Room 1C52. Both locations are on the NIH main campus. If you work outside the Bethesda/Rockville area, contact your local badge issuance office.

Do not lend your HHS ID Badge/PIV Card to anyone -- lending out your HHS ID Badge/PIV Card is prohibited. The issuance of the HHS ID Badge/PIV Card is based on strict identity proofing and the determination of one's suitability for a specific position classification.  

Online PIV Video Explains HSPD-12 and FIPS 201

By now, all NIH employees, contractors and affiliates are aware that when they were issued an HHS ID Badge/PIV Card they were required to undergo a background check that confirmed their suitability for Federal employment.  

Those interested in learning more about the presidential mandate (HSPD-12) requiring all federal agencies to employ the common identification standard known as Personal Identity Verification (PIV) can watch the PIV Overview training video posted at: http://www.ors.od.nih.gov/ser/dpsac/training/Pages/video.aspx. This video explains HSPD-12 and the corresponding technical standard FIPS 201.

FAQs

Q. I am an LWS operator. Why do the old certificates still appear along with the new certificates once the certificates are renewed?  People are complaining that they see their expired certificate along with the new one when they log into the computer with their PIV Card/HHS ID Badge.

If the search concludes that the individual has already met the requirements for the work they would be doing at NIH, then no new investigation would be initiated.   

[For example, no new investigation would be required if the work an individual will be performing for NIH has been designated to a non-sensitive (Level-1) position and they have had a previous favorable investigation that either meets or exceeds the requirements for a non-sensitive position].

In response to the second part of your question, if the individual has been subject to a previous favorable investigation that either meets or exceeds the requirements for the work being performed for NIH, and there is clear evidence there has been no break in employment or service for more than 24 months, then it would not be necessary to request a new or updated investigation.